


All Those Years Ago

by JetGirl1832, tomatopudding



Series: Family is Everything [22]
Category: Jersey Boys - Gaudio/Crewe/Brickman/Elice
Genre: Family, Family Fluff, Gen, Graduation, Growing Up, High School, M/M, Proud Parents, never thought we'd get here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 19:44:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14625723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetGirl1832/pseuds/JetGirl1832, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomatopudding/pseuds/tomatopudding
Summary: Francine has had her ups and downs, but now the day has finally arrived for her to graduate high school.





	All Those Years Ago

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the late posting, y'all. JetGirl graduated from college this week so it's been a little crazier than usual. And no, we didn't purposefully plan to line up the graduation fic with actual graduation, it just sort of happened that way.
> 
>  
> 
> June 2012
> 
>  
> 
> Francine’s age: 18

Not for the first time, Frankie cursed his lack of height. Francine’s high school wasn’t huge, but there were enough parents in the audience and they were far enough back that when the graduates started processing and everybody stood up, Frankie couldn’t see over anybody’s heads. He glanced at the folding chair behind him contemplating if he could get a better view from there.   
  


“I can see what you’re thinking,” Bob murmured, “and don’t you even dare. You will fall off that chair and you know it.”   
  
“Well how am I supposed to see?” Frankie frowned.   
  
“There’s just processing into the hall,” Bob said, “I’m sure once they’re in their seats everyone will sit down.”

  
“I hope your right,” Frankie huffed.   
  
“If not then you can sit on my shoulders,” Nick said from Bob’s other side.    
  


Frankie rolled his eyes, “Not funny.”

 

“It’s kind of funny,” Sam chuckled. She and Nick had announced that the were dating only a month or so previously and now she had her arm hooked through his.    
  
“You’ll see her soon enough,” Bob added.   
  
“Didn’t you two already take a million pictures this morning?” Tommy asked.   
  
While Nick was much more outwardly happy since he and Sam had started seeing each other, Tommy seemed to get snippier by the day.    
  
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” said Frankie, “I just want to savor the moment. You only graduate from high school once.”   
  


Tommy let out a huff and soon all the graduates were in the hall. Bob was right and all the parents sat once the students were also seated.    
  


Frankie wasn’t going to let Tommy’s sour mood bring him down, though, and turned his attention back to the front of the room where the principal was now getting ready to begin the ceremonies.   
He began his speech, which didn’t sound all that different from the one Frankie had heard when he graduated.

 

But then, Frankie assumed that most of those speeches were the same. A few teachers also spoke before giving the floor to the valedictorian. Then finally the speeches were over and the main event began. This time the parents remained seated thankfully and had been asked to save their applause until the end. That didn’t stop people from briefly cheering when their student was announced. Frankie had his phone at the ready to record the moment Francine walked across the stage.

 

At least Castelluccio-Gaudio was close to the beginning of the alphabet, so they didn’t have to wait long. Frankie could see when Francine was the next in line and started recording video.    
  
“Francine Castelluccio-Gaudio!”   
  
As Francine walked across the stage to shake the principal’s hand and receive her diploma folder, Frankie let out a shout. Nick’s deep voice and Sam’s tinkling laugh seemed to harmonize with him.    
  
“That’s my Passerotta!” Tommy shouted.    
  
Bob, usually the most subdued of any group, whooped loudest of them all. Francine gave them a small wave before walking off the stage.

 

Later, after all of the graduating seniors had walked and they moved the tassels over, Francine found her fathers, aunt, and honorary uncles in the lobby. She ran to give her dads a big hug.

 

“We’re so proud of you,” Bob murmured into their three way hug circle, pressing a kiss to the top of Francine’s head.    
  
“Somehow I did it,” Francine laughed, but there was a touch of seriousness to her voice.   
  


“We always knew you would,” Frankie told her, his tone equally serious.    
  
“I didn’t,” Francine replied.    
  
“But you did it,” Bob put his hands on her shoulders, “and that’s what matters.”   
  
Francine sniffled, trying to hide the fact that her eyes were welling up slightly.    
  
"You ready to go home and have pizza and cake?" Frankie asked.

 

“Will Robby be there?” she asked.

  
It was pretty remarkable how close she had gotten to Frankie’s younger brother. She had even decided to go to the same university as him.   
  
"Like he'd miss it for anything," Frankie scoffed.


End file.
